Recently, various kinds of electronic and mobile electronic devices such as a computer, mobile communication terminal, PDA, and PMP are increasingly prevailed. The use of such electronic devices determines whether to be able to access digital information, and causes a new type of digital divide. Since typical electronic devices are designed for non-handicapped people who do not suffer from physical difficulties, it is not easy for handicapped people to access such an electronic device.
Therefore, various kinds of devices that can be used by handicapped people have been developed. In particular, various output devices for providing information to blind users through their sense of touch have been developed and commercialized.
For a conventional braille display device, it is important to develop a device configured to provide driving power required for a vertical movement to move braille pins upward and downward. Korean Patent Registration No. 1,181,811 discloses a braille display device using a braille output actuator, which performs a vertical movement required for moving a braille output pin upward and downward, and enables a user to read a braille character by sensing a braille output pin moved upward on a braille cell with his touch of sense through the base side of his finger.
However, when such an actuator is used, there is difficulty in miniaturizing and integrating solenoids as braille output element, which makes it difficult to reduce the size of the braille display device. In addition, since a high voltage is required to obtain sufficient driving power, electricity consumption is inevitably high. Thus, a user may have trouble in using the braille display device as a portable device.
Furthermore, since the braille display device using an actuator has low and irregular response speed, a user may have discomfort in using the braille display device.
With the recent development of IT technology, the text-voice conversion technology has been applied to terminal devices, such that blind people can easily acquire various pieces of information without using braille. However, the text-voice conversion devices may not support the voice function when a defect or error occurs in a sound providing module. Furthermore, when the contents written on a newspaper or book are delivered through voice, a user can simply receive information through the sense of hearing, but has difficulties in feeling that the user actively “reads” the information. Furthermore, the user cannot adjust a reading speed or range on his own, when reading the information.